1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a weather resistant, non-flowable, and stackable animal feed block and, more particularly, it relates to such a block which provides an animal feed supplement for controlled intake.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses the preparation of animal feed supplements including molasses, with the addition of phosphoric acid to serve as a preservative and as a source of dietary phosphorus, and urea has been added to supply non-protein nitrogen. Fats have been included in these feed supplements. However, most of these supplements, in earlier days, have been in liquid form and were utilized by mixing into animal feed rather than permitting free-choice feeding by animals.
In addition, the prior art discloses blocks to provide controlled intake and supply dietary requirements to animals, such as salt blocks, mineral blocks, protein blocks and molasses blocks.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,672 discloses the formation of a stable emulsion of animal fats in molasses containing feed supplements, but requires a starch emulsifying agent. The starch is present in relatively large quantities and such quantities are desirably avoided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,043 discloses an animal feed supplement which contains a major portion of molasses and various solidifying components like phosphate or phosphoric acid and a metal oxide or salt in sufficient quantities and proportions to solidify the product. This patent also discloses the presence of an edible fat or oil along with a fat emulsifying agent to prevent separation of the fat or oil from the solid composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,727 discloses an acidic feed supplement block which is formed from the reaction of an acidic liquid mixture comprising (a) a sugar-containing source, such as molasses, (b) an orthophosphate source or precursor, (c) magnesium, and (d) sufficient calcium to provide total calcium to magnesium weight ratio of between about 1.5 and 3. The method results in the formation of a liquid molasses mixture having an acidic pH prepared by mixing two solutions, at least one of which contains molasses, and an orthophosphate compound with a second solution comprising sufficient calcium to react with the phosphate in the presence of magnesium so as to form a solid block. However, this block requires substantial hardening times.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,092 discloses two methods for providing the composition of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,727.
The prior art, however, has not provided animal feed supplement blocks with the best weatherability, nor the provision of two distinct fluid phases which are stable over substantial periods of time, but which, when mixed together, provide a high degree of hardness in a short period of time. More particularly, the prior art has provided blocks which erode under weather conditions found in the field resulting in loss of valuable supplements and has not provided for the formation of stackable hard blocks in short periods of time, such as about 6 hours or less. In addition, the prior art blocks did not provide stackability but tended to slump when stacked thereby interfering with storage and shipment of the block.